Power Point Summary of Culture and Conflict Power

Power. Point Summary of: Culture and Conflict

Power. Point Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 2: Culture shapes our… • Perceptions • Judgments • Ideas of oneself and others Each of us belongs to multiple cultures Though powerful, culture often operates unconsciously

Power. Point Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 3: Cultural Messages… are what everyone in a group knows that outsiders don’t Consist of: • Starting points: assumptions, where we start our assessments of a situation • Currencies: those things we care about that influence and shape our interactions with others

Power. Point Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 4: Complications • Culture is multi-layered: What you see on the surface may mask differences below the surface. Thus, cultural generalizations are not the whole story. • Culture is in constant flux: As conditions change, cultural groups adapt. Thus, no comprehensive description of a culture can ever be formulated. • Culture is elastic: Knowing the cultural norms of a group doesn’t predict behavior of individuals within the group. Thus, taxonomies are of limited use.

Power. Point Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 5: More Complications • Culture is largely below the surface: It is not easy to access because it is largely outside our awareness. Thus, it is important to use multiple symbolic tools to communicate effectively. • Identities and influences vary in importance, depending on context: Misunderstood identities often become more important than others. Thus, interactive experiences should be pursued to limit misunderstandings.

Power. Point Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 6: Cultural Fluency… means familiarity with cultures and their dimensions

Power. Point Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 7: Communication “Starting Points” • High-context communication -most of a message is conveyed by the context surrounding it, not in explicit words • Low-Context communication -emphasizes directness rather than relying on context

Power. Point Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 8: Conflict “Starting Points” Ways of naming, framing and taming conflict • Naming -- refers to identifying what is and isn’t a conflict • Framing -- refers to interpretation of a conflict • Taming -- refers to norms on how to resolve a conflict

Power. Point Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 9: Ways of interpreting situations… or making starting points For example: • Universalist cultures rely on rules and laws • Particularist cultures consider exceptions and context

Power. Point Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 10: • Specific cultures examine specific situations, details, and outcomes • Diffuse cultures look at patterns, large-scale processes, and the “big picture”

Power. Point Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 11: • Inner-directed cultures see virtue in individual achievements, whereas • Outer-directed cultures see virtue in relationships and process

Power. Point Summary of: Culture and Conflict Slide 12: Individualists Collectivists See themselves as separate individuals Group allegiance is most important They prefer: • Competition • Self-reliance • Independence • Individual achievement • Personal growth and fulfillment They prefer: • Cooperation • Filial piety • Participation in shared progress • Reputation of the group